Oral Surgery

Visiting an Oral Surgeon

If you are living with a serious oral or facial problem, an oral surgeon is the best person for you to see. While your general dentist is an important part of your health care team, serious issues like jaw deformities, impacted wisdom teeth, and other problems will likely need to be referred to an oral surgeon. These professionals will have the experience and training to handle the most complex dental issues.

Why You Should See an Oral Surgeon

Oral surgeons are similar to general dentists in many ways. These professionals have completed four years of dental school just like your general dentist, but they then went on to complete a surgical residency that would have likely taken 4-6 years to complete. During this residency, oral surgeons develop expertise in wisdom teeth, wisdom tooth extraction, trauma, facial reconstruction, and bone grafting.

The most common situation when people need an oral surgeon is for the extraction of teeth, in particular, the wisdom teeth. Generally, this will be initiated at the recommendation of your general dentist. If the situation does not involve your wisdom teeth and you are in need of replacement teeth or dental implants, an oral surgeon will typically offer these services too.

Getting Ready for Your Oral Surgery Consultation

Once you set up your oral surgery consultation, there are things that you can do to prepare for the appointment. During this consultation, you’ll meet with your surgeon to discuss your particular case and treatment options that might be available. You may have been referred by your dentist or seeking out advice on your own, you should be properly prepared for this visit.

Get Ready to Discuss Your Concerns

Before you attend your consultation, consider exactly what problems are affecting you. Did you suffer a facial injury while playing sports, or are your wisdom teeth bothering you? Each case is different, so be prepared to talk about your unique circumstances.

Get Your Records in Order

Have you seen anyone else for treatment regarding your problem? When did the issue first develop? What are your goals for treatment? You’ll need to share a variety of information with your oral surgeon at your consultation, so be sure to have your records in order.

Prepare for a Physical Exam

During your consultation, your surgeon will likely incorporate an exam into your discussion. These exams will give your surgeon a better understanding about what is going on with your mouth. X-rays or other scans may also be incorporated if your surgeon needs to get a better picture of the bone or tooth root structures.

Have Your Questions Prepared

Once your exam has been completed, your oral surgeon will be prepared to discuss possible treatment options. This is a great time to ask any questions that might be on your mind. Your surgeon is there to answer these questions and address concerns while helping you to find the best treatment plan. You will also talk about pre-operative and post-operative surgical instructions.

Bring Your Insurance Information

If you are ready to schedule your procedure, you’ll need to have your insurance information with you. Bring your health and dental insurance cards. Many surgical procedures will be covered by insurance, and bringing this information in ahead of time can give staff members the chance to research your level of coverage.

Your oral surgery consultation is a great time to get to know your surgeon and the oral surgery staff. You’ll be able to get a feeling for the office atmosphere and the services offered, and you should also get an idea about the hours of operation, emergency phone numbers, and other important information.

Anesthesia and Oral Surgery

When it comes to oral surgery and anesthesia they go together like peanut butter and jelly, where you can have one without the other but it will not be good. Oral surgeons perform a wide variety of dental procedures including (but certainly not limited to) facial reconstruction, dental implants, and tooth extraction. Where any and all of these procedures will require some form of anesthesia, for your added comfort.

The act of “going under” tends to cause some patients anxiety and that is okay. Properly educating yourself on the different types of anesthesia and their uses, however can help to reduce some of these anxieties.

What is General Anesthesia?

General anesthesia is administered to medically induce loss of consciousness and feeling. The main purposes for general anesthesia are:

•

Amnesia or loss of memory.

•

Analgesia or lack of ability to feel pain.

•

Immobility.

•

Muscle and skeletal relaxation.

•

Unconsciousness.

Does Anesthesia Have Side Effects?

Other than the intended side effects mentioned above, anesthesia has a few common side effects, including sore throat, nausea, shivering and sleepiness.

Is Anesthesia Safe?

There has been much advancement in the way of anesthesia in the past 25 years that have lower any related risk associated with anesthesia to next to none. There are increased risks associated with certain conditions such as obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. It is therefore very important that you review your medical history in its entirety with your oral surgeon.

Take Note

Before you have a procedure that requires anesthesia administration, you should take note that:

•

You should not eat or drink anything up to 8 hours before the surgery.

•

Be sure to arrange plans for someone to pick you up after your procedure.

•

Wait 24 hours to operate any kind of machinery after surgery.

•

Do not wear any unnecessary jewelry, dentures or contacts on the day of surgery.

•

Skip the makeup.

•

Be sure to tell your surgeon if you have any illness at the time, including a common cold or flu.

For more information on oral surgery or anesthesia contact us at our Portland office by calling: 503-455-4673